Nottinghamshire Police welcomes new officers as it reaches highest levels of officers since 2011

Nottinghamshire Police has welcomed 19 new officers at a special ceremony.

The group passed out at a ceremony at the force's headquarters on Friday, overseen by Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Barber, after completing their initial training programme.

The officers have completed a mix of classroom training and operational attachments with their tutors. Over the coming weeks, the new recruits will be deployed across the county, where they will undertake a range of duties in their new roles alongside their tutor officers.

The new Pcs officially passed out at a parade attended by proud family members.

Among the new recruits is Chris Heathcote, a former salesperson and training manager who has previously worked for Mercedes-Benz and Ford.

The 43-year-old, who will be based with one of the response teams, said he was thrilled to become a police officer.

He said: “In all my jobs, the aspect I’ve enjoyed most is helping people. Even when I worked in sales, I got a buzz out of choosing what was best for the customer rather than what might be best for the company.

“I’m really looking forward to being a police officer. In particular, I’m keen to help tackle knife crime and road safety. Having clocked up many thousands of miles on the roads in my previous job, one of my pet frustrations is people who drive dangerously and put other road users at risk.”

Former police cadet Jonathan Skilling is also among the new Pcs.

The 21-year-old said: “There are many reasons why I wanted to become a police officer. Every day is different and you get to help people, particularly victims of crime.

“It’s about making communities safer and so today is a really proud day for me and my family.”

The force said the new recruits joined Nottinghamshire Police at a time when its officer numbers were at their highest since 2011.

The force reached 2,380 officers by March 2022, meaning it met its national uplift target a year ahead of schedule.

DCC Barber said the force would continue to recruit despite recently hitting its recruitment targets a year early.

She said: “Friday’s passing out parade was the fourth we’ve held over the past ten weeks and we have many more planned over the year. I wish all our new recruits well as they embark on an exciting and rewarding career in policing.

“Our numbers are now at their highest levels in 11 years and it is fantastic to have so many additional officers out on the beat, serving our communities.

“It is great news for the people of Nottinghamshire that this force has been able to expand and take on new recruits so rapidly as part of the uplift programme.

“This is exactly what communities want and what we need operationally and I’m very happy that we are continuing to create local jobs for local people across Nottinghamshire.

“We have another exciting recruitment programme coming up and I’d encourage anyone who is interested in policing to get in touch.”

Nottinghamshire Police is seeking enthusiastic, innovative and motivated individuals to join the force.

Look on its website for more details.